[ 37i ] 
New Experiments and Obfervations concerning 
Electricity, 
P A P E R IV. PARTI. 
Of Two dftinci Powers in Electricity, 
Read Dec. 20,' 
1 75 9 * 
>T Obferved, in the papers I have already 
had the honour of communicating to 
the Society, that the different ffate of electricity, as 
diftinguilhed into pofitive and negative , was a leading 
circumftance in all eleCtrical appearances j and that, 
if followed out with due attention, it might bring us 
to a clearer view, than we yet have had, of the 
powers that nature employs in thofe wonderful ope- 
rations. Nothing could be more proper to ferve this 
purpofe, than the fimple apparatus I had all along 
made ufe of. It confifted of two eleCtric bodies, of 
which, when they were excited, one never failed to 
affume the politive, the other the negative ffate of 
electricity. The obfervations I had frequent oppor- 
tunities of making, with regard to the manner in 
which they aCted, in thefe different ffates, on other 
bodies, and on each other reciprocally, confirmed 
me in a notion, which, in the courfe of my expri- 
ments, I had very early conceived. 
My notion is, that the operations of eleClricity do 
not depend upon one fingle politive power, according 
to the opinion generally received ; but upon two 
diftinCt, politive, and aCtive powers, which, by con- 
trailing, and, as it were, counteracting each other, 
B b b 2 pro- 
